Encryption merits

Submitted by Joseph_N on January 23, 2007 - 3:59pm.

Background: TrueCrypt requires admin privileges on the host machine, even in Traveler mode. Some slick program I assembled using GPG and 7za does not seem to work for me anymore, and I cannot figure out why. So that leaves me, I think, with 7-Zip's encryption feature if I want to protect files on my USB and to use them in Windows machines with limited user privileges. Besides, 7-Zip is on my USB, so I may as well not load another program if it's not necessary.

Question: I'd appreciate any knowledgeable opinions about 7-Zip's implementation of AES256. In other words, is there any reason not to trust 7-Zip's encryption, as it is used in the Portable App (other than issues relating to password strength, password logging, or cached images of the files that become archived)?

( categories:

7-Zip Portable

)

I think its safe

Simeon - February 17, 2007 - 10:08am

As stated here, 7ZIP uses the same AES WinZIP and WinRAR use.
So I think it can be considered trustworthy.

"I was just out walking my rat and I seem to have lost my way" - James Bond in Diamonds are forever

What about the fact

emuostrich (Homepage) - March 20, 2007 - 12:40pm

that you have to extract the folder to view the files? 7-ZIP creates an uncompressed, unencrypted folder in addition to the already existing compressed and protected one - and you have to delete the unprotected files or folders after you are done using them? Does this present any security concerns?

Thanks,

Adam

(please tell me if what I said was unclear...)

Thanks,

Adam

In newer versions, you can

doctorfrog - June 19, 2007 - 10:32am

In newer versions, you can manually set the temp folder that 7zip uses to be your flash drive. Li'l update, maybe?

You can also use CCleaner portable to securely wipe temp files on the HDD and other custom folders. Me, I use PStart as an app launcher, which executes CCleaner when I exit the launcher, which is usually when I'm done with my session. dscrypt, a tiny separate app, will encrypt/decrypt any file. Though the docs for this app don't say so, I've emailed the developer and he says that any temp files created are overwritten after they are encrypted.

Me, I'd be happier if 7zip could be modified to not write settings to the registry. There are files and folders within the app that seem to indicate that the wrapper is supposed to catch these settings and write them locally, but this does not happen.

Bonus: Also, you can slim down 7zip considerably by deleting all the unneeded language files.

AFAICT

Simeon - June 19, 2007 - 11:08am

7Zip is the latest version.
“Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts” - Richard P. Feynman

"I was just out walking my rat and I seem to have lost my way" - James Bond in Diamonds are forever

The beta's up to 4.47, and I

doctorfrog - June 19, 2007 - 11:25am

The beta's up to 4.47, and I find it quite stable. I do understand the decision to keep using the 'stable' version 4.42, but there are a few worthy features that warrant the upgrade IMO, among them, the temp folder relocation.

"Me, I'd be happier if 7zip

ZachHudock - June 19, 2007 - 12:13pm

"Me, I'd be happier if 7zip could be modified to not write settings to the registry. There are files and folders within the app that seem to indicate that the wrapper is supposed to catch these settings and write them locally, but this does not happen."

the launchers don't wrap everything to write locally, they still write to the default location, the launchers just backup settings on the host pc, replace it with the portable settings, then when finished, delete the portable settings and restore the backup of the host's settings
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